Tim Cook would rather settle litigation, but will defend Apple IP

Posted:
in AAPL Investors edited January 2014
In Apple's Q2 2012 earnings conference call on Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook responded to a question regarding ongoing worldwide patent litigation by saying that he would like to settle but will continue to defend the company's inventions.

Cook admitted that he would "highly prefer" to find some sort of amicable agreement for the numerous patent lawsuit battles being waged with Samsung, Motorola and others, though the Apple chief notes that companies need to "invent their own stuff."

"I've always hated litigation, and I continue to hate it," Cook said. He went on to say of a guarantee against future patent infringement, "if we could get to some kind of arrangement where we could be assured that that's the case, I highly prefer to settle versus battle."

This is not to say the CEO is backing down from the fight, as he reiterated more than once that other companies need to be responsible for creating their own intellectual property.

The stance is somewhat of a departure from the tack taken by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who was famously quoted as saying that he was willing to go "thermonuclear war" against Android, a product he felt was a direct copy of iOS.

A sign of Cook's strategy could be the recent meeting between Apple and Samsung in which both parties reportedly discussed possibilities of reaching some sort of settlement. No agreements have been officially announced and the patent litigations continue.

"The key thing is that Apple not become the developer for the world, we need people to invent their own stuff," Cook said.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17




    "The key thing is that Apple not become the developer for the world, we need people to invent their own stuff," Cook said.


     


    That should be an easy enough goal to reach!

  • Reply 2 of 17


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post





    "The key thing is that Apple not become the developer for the world, we need people to invent their own stuff," Cook said.


     


    That quote is bound to create controversy.


     


    Let's get 'er started!

  • Reply 3 of 17
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member


     


    Quote:

    "The key thing is that Apple not become the developer for the world, we need people to invent their own stuff," Cook said.


     


    The problem is that Apple has become the R&D center for everyone else.  This is the reality regardless of what the iHaters say.  Blatant copiers like Samsung will tweak their products just so much that they can just litigate it in court for years until the next product that Apple produces can be copied, then it's rinse and repeat.  Apple will come out with the next revolution, and then the Same-sung folks will then claim it was just the "natural progression" of technology so it's okay to copy it.




    I think Apple has really showed the competition how pathetic their ability to innovate on their own has become.  Sure, Apple did not invent the phone, computer, GUI, etc... but they sure as hell packaged it, polished it, and marketed it in ways no one else ever do.  Google copies iOS, Samsung copies the iPhone, and even with that they both still have a crappy product.



    Such a shame that true R&D no longer exists except for maybe Microsoft and their Windows8 product.  At least I give them kudos for at least doing their own thing.

  • Reply 4 of 17
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post


     


     


    That quote is bound to create controversy.


     


    Let's get 'er started!



     


    People are like sheep and those sheep work for companies, so it's only natural that they'd try to directly copy successful Apple products.

  • Reply 5 of 17


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


     


     Apple did not invent the phone, computer, GUI, etc... 



     


     


    Originally said by Tim:


     




    We need people to invent their own stuff.



     


     


    The contrast between these two statements struck me.

  • Reply 6 of 17


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


     


     


    People are like sheep and those sheep work for companies, so it's only natural that they'd try to directly copy successful Apple products.



     


    My point was about the Tim Cook quote... I can see this thread sliding off the rails about what Apple has and has not invented. The lack of immediate backlash tells me that there are probably a lot of people who haven't quite figured out the new AI format.

  • Reply 7 of 17
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member


     


    Quote:

    The contrast between these two statements struck me.


     


    Perhaps using a hammer instead of contrast will give you the desired effect.



    image

  • Reply 8 of 17
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

    People are like sheep and those sheep work for companies, so it's only natural that they'd try to directly copy successful Apple products.


     


    Speaking of which, have you seen the latest Samsung commercial?


     


    Apparently they don't actually want to sell their products to anyone with an iOS device.

  • Reply 9 of 17
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member


    Can someone explain to me why the hell there's so much damn dead space in this new forum format? I literally can view TWO responses at once on my 27" screen without scrolling. It's insane. After each post the empty vertical space is the size of the post itself. 

  • Reply 10 of 17
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


     


     


    Perhaps using a hammer instead of contrast will give you the desired effect.



    image



     


    image Or a fly-swatter . . .


     


    But seriously, the meme that Apple doesn't invent their stuff or what goes into their stuff needs to go away. Not criticizing what you said, just wishing to float another concept.


     


    If the whole package doesn't work for people, the product doesn't work, period. The product has not been truly invented yet.


     


    Apple—under Steve Jobs—invented the first cleanly packaged personal computer, the first delightfully packaged pocket music player, the first competent pocket touchscreen computer/phone/music player, and the first amazing touchscreen tablet. How are these harmonized combinations of parts, technology, software and pleasing design not inventions? It is why the combinations can and should be patented in their parts and in their whole designs.


     


    So far no other company has been able to pull off any of these, with the exception of the first, the PC, and that is arguable. So we have to conclude that what else Steve Jobs pulled off is the invention of a corporation that can do these package jobs, these intensely organized and refined collections of technology. Apple is an entity that invents whole products.


     


    Apple invents stuff.


     


     

  • Reply 11 of 17
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post


    Can someone explain to me why the hell there's so much damn dead space in this new forum format? I literally can view TWO responses at once on my 27" screen without scrolling. It's insane. After each post the empty vertical space is the size of the post itself. 



     


    Maybe they're opening it up for iPad scrolling?

  • Reply 12 of 17
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member


    Tens of billions in the bank, and a public statement that he prefers to settle, will surely invite more litigation. Why did he have to say that.

  • Reply 13 of 17
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post


     


     


    My point was about the Tim Cook quote... I can see this thread sliding off the rails about what Apple has and has not invented. The lack of immediate backlash tells me that there are probably a lot of people who haven't quite figured out the new AI format.



     


    Sorry to say, after several days trying to use this new format it just plain sucks. It is far too radical a change from the previous version, which only had a few bad things about it. This new one has a whole lot of bad things and it makes me more depressed every time I try to use it.

  • Reply 14 of 17


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


     


     


    Sorry to say, after several days trying to use this new format it just plain sucks. It is far too radical a change from the previous version, which only had a few bad things about it. This new one has a whole lot of bad things and it makes me more depressed every time I try to use it.



     


    I'm with you on that. AI might not be too sad to see me limit my time on here but I feel that it will be a while before they get their click count back to pre-change levels and to get the best forum members, like yourself, back to feeling comfortable on AI.

  • Reply 15 of 17


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Tens of billions in the bank, and a public statement that he prefers to settle, will surely invite more litigation. Why did he have to say that.



     




    Probably, Cook's underlying assumption is that the vast majority of the settlements will end up being in Apple's favour rather than the competition's.  If that proves to be the case, then the settlements would likely end up producing a net flow of more cash into Apple.  And the competition, wanting to avoid needing to pay excessive royalties to Apple, would (hopefully) be encouraged to find new ways of doing things.


     


    The second outcome, however, is probably a severe case of wishful thinking.

  • Reply 16 of 17
    ssquirrelssquirrel Posts: 1,196member
    <p>  </p><div class="quote-container"> <span>Quote:</span> <div class="quote-block"> Originally Posted by <strong>AppleInsider</strong> <a href="/t/149588/tim-cook-would-rather-settle-litigation-but-will-defend-apple-ip#post_2100422"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" /></a><br /> <br /> <vc><br /> "The key thing is that Apple not become the developer for the world, we need people to invent their own stuff," Cook said.</vc></div></div><p>  </p><p> That quote is bound to create controversy.</p><p>  </p><p> Let's get 'er started!</p>


    Wow the new formatting is ugly as shit when you are quoting someone. Anyway, go read the comments on the Arstechnica version of this article. People are freaking livid over the quote heh.

    http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/04/apple-we-could-settle-patent-fights-if-others-would-invent-their-own-stuff.ars
  • Reply 17 of 17
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


     


     


    The problem is that Apple has become the R&D center for everyone else.  This is the reality regardless of what the iHaters say.  Blatant copiers like Samsung will tweak their products just so much that they can just litigate it in court for years until the next product that Apple produces can be copied, then it's rinse and repeat.  Apple will come out with the next revolution, and then the Same-sung folks will then claim it was just the "natural progression" of technology so it's okay to copy it.




    I think Apple has really showed the competition how pathetic their ability to innovate on their own has become.  Sure, Apple did not invent the phone, computer, GUI, etc... but they sure as hell packaged it, polished it, and marketed it in ways no one else ever do.  Google copies iOS, Samsung copies the iPhone, and even with that they both still have a crappy product.



    Such a shame that true R&D no longer exists except for maybe Microsoft and their Windows8 product.  At least I give them kudos for at least doing their own thing.



     




    If you are refering to innovation that can be easily seen with the naked eye, you may have a point.


     


    However, when looking at the innovation that the naked eye CANT see, I highly disagree with your statement.


     


    Dont lump those two together.


     


    Not every innovation is easily seen.


     


    Case in point:  http://www.i-runway.com/iRunway_4G_LTE_Patent_Analysis.html

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